Nicky Pellegrino’s readers tell her that if they can’t go to Italy on holiday, reading one of her eleven novels so full of friendship, laughter, beautiful Italian food and sunshine is the next best thing.

HI there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Nicky talks about her affinity for all things Italian, the ‘Seize the Day’ experience that made her determined to write fiction, and  the foodie tour she’s leading to Sicily in 2020.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

The 'mistake' that led to a winning formulaWhy beginning is harder than finishingHer passion for all things ItalianThe 'Seize The Day' experience that got her startedWhy shegave up a magazine editorship to write booksThe blossoming of popular NZ women's fiction

Where to find Nicky Pellegrino: 

Website: https://www.nickypellegrino.com/

Facebook: @nickypellegrinoauthor

 Twitter: @nickypellegrino

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Nicky. Hello there Nicky and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Nicky Pellegrino; "uplit" fiction

Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so what was the catalyst for it

Nicky: Well I'd always wanted to write. It was why I became a journalist, because I'd come from a very ordinary working class Northern English background and I didn't know any writers. So that's why I went into journalism, because I thought 'one day I'll write a book.'

I had lots of ideas - and ideas are the easy part. But I hadn't sat down and done anything about it. And then one day I was at work - I was deputy editor of the New Zealand Woman's Weekly - and I got an email from a friend who was in Television New Zealand at the time, to let me know that Angela d'Audney, who was a very well known New Zealander on television had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was terminally ill.

A 'Seize the Day' moment

I didn't know her well, she wasn't a personal friend. I had only interviewed her a couple of times, but it was one of those 'Seize the Day' moments. I knew she was only in her 50's and it made me think that you just don't know what's around the corner. I realized if there is something you want to do, you should really get to it and do it. And the thing I wanted to do was write this novel that was in my head.

Delicious: Nicky Pellegrino

I went home and that night I started writing Delicious, my first novel. I just plunged into it. I didn't have a plot, nor a character breakdown. I was working on an ancient computer that was made before email was invented, it was all very ill advised. But I just kept plugging away at nights, weekends and holidays - I did get a better computer - but I just kept going.

In between all this Angela d'Audney had asked me to write a book with her and that was an amazing gift she gave me because I didn't know if I could write a book. And now she was running out of time and I had a publisher's deadline so I really couldn't waste time being insecure and worried about it. I just had to get on and do it.

Finishing the Book

So I finished that book, and then going back into my own book seemed incredible because it didn't involve the sadness of seeing this friend who looked a little less well every time I visited her.

Back in my own imaginary world with these characters I'd invented suddenly it felt "This is great!" That was it really, I was incredibly lucky to get a publishing deal for that first book. I am not one of those writers who have half finished manuscripts or rejected manuscripts lying around, everything I have started I've finished and it's been published which I think is a little unusual.

Jenny: I think it is, yes.